CCG.XM kicked off an initial acquisition drive, starting with the list of names the hotel collected through name cards.
This involved a series of rotating email promotions, giving coverage to each dining outlet at the hotel, including Olive Tree, Man Yu Fan, and Restaurant Suntory.
Consumers were then offered premiums and discounts and invited to opt into the hotel's marketing database. The agency instigated a viral component to each promotion, with additional rewards offered to members for referrals.
Within a six-month period, the database had doubled, according to CCG.XM chief executive officer and regional director, Ken Mandel. He added that InterContinental's email messages achieved an open rate of 90 per cent.
"The success of the emailers comes down to the value proposition and the quality of the lists through the viral element. There are many emails that manage to get lost in the crowd, so the subject line is also important.
It has to be relevant to the receiver," he said.
InterContinental has also completed a project with CCG.XM to allow direct online reservations at its outlets. Mandel added: "The challenge there is with the back-end system. You have to ensure the business process is working although the back-end system is fully automated. If you get 100 people booking in for a wine giveaway, you have to ensure you have 100 bottles of wine (to avoid consumer disappointment)."